As early as 7 a.m. Tuesday, Paris residents lined the streets to catch a glimpse of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic torch relay.

The torch made its way to downtown Paris at approximately 8 a.m.

Eleven-year-old Daniel Waldschmidt said he was most excited about the Olympics because Pittsburgh Penguins' captain Sidney Crosby was participating.

"He's one of my favourite players," Waldschmidt said.

Young and old alike got caught up in the festivities, which included some early morning yoga in the streets, music and a surprise visit from Santa Claus. Free hot chocolate and coffee were also available to help warm the enthusiastic crowd.

Blair Davies, from St. Catharines, had the honour of running the torch through the downtown, where the majority of spectators had gathered.

The 13-year-old led the crowd in the singing of the national anthem, with local dignitaries including Brant MP Phil McColeman, Brant MPP Dave Levac, County of Brant Mayor Ron Eddy and County of Brant councillors Roy Haggart, Shirley Simons and John Wheat singing right along with him.

Following the torch run, onlookers were invited to a breakfast at the Paris Fairgrounds, with $1 out of each meal paid for going to the Canadian Olympic committee to support Canada's athletes. The breakfast was organized by the Paris Agricultural Society. Free face painting and a craft sale were part of the fun at the fairgrounds.

After leaving Paris, the torch made its way to Scotland arriving at 8:30 a.m. for eight minutes of torch relay excitement, then left the area.